B'rakhot (blessings) are not treated lightly in Judaism. Each blessing's phrasing is specific and designed to enable the speaker to fulfill a mitzvah. The b'rakha creates a partnership between divine decree and physical action and merges the will of God and that of the one making the blessing. With all of this going on (in what is often just a few words) concentration is of the utmost importance. At the same time, there is value in listening to a blessing. One fortunate enough to listen to another’s blessing is often invited to join in blessing God without fulfilling the specific mitzvah of the b’rakha being recited. For example, if I waved the lulav and etrog on Sukkot and then later in the day heard my friend recite the b’rakha over lulav and etrog I wouldn’t join her word for word (I already recited that blessing). I would say, “Blessed is He and Blessed in His Name,” though (and respond, “amen”). Now, if someone is reciting a blessing on my behalf (i.e. the chazzan reciting the blessings over shofar) I must concentrate as if I were reciting it myself. Therefore, I would say “amen” at the end, but I wouldn’t interrupt the blessing with an extra praise of God (i.e. Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo).
The main point behind all these details is to stress that people not treat mitzvot or blessings lightly. These b’rakhot are not mere words, they are responses to unique moments or actions in time that may not be repeated again until tomorrow, another month, or another year. The focus on proper concentration and decorum for both the speaker and listener reflects value of the moment…of the Torah…of the Holy One.
Lets discuss and ruminate on this for a few days and then we’ll get into some more of the specifics around “Amein” and “Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo.”
I love this practice because it encourages us to support each other in Torah throughout the day. Instead of your friend feeling as though he/she interrupted a conversation to make a brakhah over their drink/snack or whatever, we join in the blessing and we all take a moment out to bless The Holy One.
ReplyDeleteMy one concern is that if this is a complete obligation at all times a person could come to resent this practice by feeling forced to say this formula over and over and being interrupted. We should want to bless Hashem, but we should also bless Hashem out of love and not sour obedience. Could you respond to that concern?
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your angle on the value of halakhic responses as opportunities to share in blessing God. This is a beautiful way to look at this halakha.
I'm a little unclear regarding the concern of a person "being interupted." Are you refering to the person saying the b'rakha? If so, it is worth noting that many times one says b'rakhot alone, and even when he/she does say a b'rakha publicly the responders are not necessarily all that aubible in saying Barukh Hu Uverukh Sh'mo.
Regarding the concern about sour obedience, I would put it this way: Sometimes we will be inspired to say a b'rakha out of deeply felt love for God-similar to caring for a crying son or daughter. Sometimes, we will not be so inspired-not unlike at 4:00am when the baby is crying again and you've tried everything! It's still good and important to tend to the child (unless you're training him/her to fall back asleep on his/her own) even if you don't feel like it. Similarly, I find it better to have blessed God out of obligation than to have kept silent.
Another example: children need to apologize when they've done something wrong sometimes before they're really, truly sorry. There's wisdom in this. By saying it before you mean it, you can train yourself to "mean it" more often.
Ideal: Bless God and really mean it!
Okay: Bless God without feeling much of anything it all
Better than nothing: Bless God when you don't really want to
Sad: Say nothing
Any thoughts?
"We should want to bless Hashem, but we should also bless Hashem out of love and not sour obedience."
ReplyDeleteOf course, one would hope that our obedience will never become "sour", but that's not how real life usually works. Oftentimes we do things that we don't feel like doing, but we know that we MUST. Also, G-d places a very high priority on obedience, precisely BECAUSE it's expression of love and true sacrificial love doesn't depend on only feelings [trusting in and submitting oneself to G-d's will] - meaning that love toward G-d can't exist without obedience.
"Whoever keeps His word (meaning whoever is obedient) truly the love of G-d is perfected in him." – I John 2:5
Ben,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great halakha to start with. You wrote:
I would say, “Blessed is He and Blessed in His Name,” though (and respond, “amen”). Now, if someone is reciting a blessing on my behalf (i.e. the chazzan reciting the blessings over shofar) I must concentrate as if I were reciting it myself.
The question about when exactly to respond with Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo was raised at the small monthly Messianic minyan I daven at. Can you outline (or point the way towards a reference on) which blessings in the morning service are recited on one's behalf by the Shaliach Tzibur and which blessings one would make the response to?
Ben to Gene:
ReplyDeleteExcellent points about the relationship between love and obedience. You are absolutely right that both are needed.
Ben to Yahnatan:
In a normal service, contrary to much of modern synagogue functioning, the shliach tzibbur is NEVER supposed to be reciting on the congregation's behalf except in the repetition of the amidah (I'm actually going to get into this a bit in my next post on the halakha of the month).
This would lead one to assume that if you finish before the chazzan, you would recite Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo...BUT...This is not the case because, ideally, from p'sukei d'zimrah through the amidah interuption is forbidden. In other words you would be interupting the flow of your own davening in order to listen to the chazzan and respond to him/her-this is not allowed, generally.
This leads to some interesting consequences and discussions. If one arrives late to a service, one could be reciting p'sukei d'zimrah while the k'hal is reciting the shema section. There are moments when one is permitted to interupt the flow of his/her davening for the sake of responding to the congregation!
The details of this are outlined in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (chapters 14 and 16). I won't outline the specifics here but I will say that it is complicated enough to make anyone who wants to be machmir (stringent) in this area to get his/her buns to shul on time!
The bottom line is that there is a dynamic tension within the halakhot of blessings between individual responsibility and connection with the community. As I mentioned earlier in my response to you, I plan on delving into this for our next post on this halakha.
To answer your question simply (This info can be found in a halakhic code and/or siddurim-I'm following Koren/Sacks):
Birkhot HaShachar: Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo and Amen when one has completed his/her recitations
P'Sukei D'Zimrah: Amen
Shema and Amidah: (nada)
Amidah repetition: k'hal responds with Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo and Amen
All of this is provided everyone is there on time reciting all together (not in lock-step unison but in the same sections at the same time)
Ben to Yahnatan:
ReplyDeleteP.S. The reason Birkhot HaShachar is different is that it is a collection of blessings that is "every Jew for him/herself" anyway. For example, one could conceivably have recited most of the b'rakhot before the service leader even started. B. B'rakhot Ch 9 is the source of the main blessings of this "section" of shacharit and the context actually indicates a person is reciting these things while getting up in the morning. Another example: I follow the assertion that one should recite the blessings over the Torah before putting on tallit and t'fillin as one recited Scripture verses as a part of donning these items (this is why the Koren siddur places the blessings over Torah before tallit and t'fillin).
All of this to say, having birkhot hashachar as a section of the "service" is somewhat deceiving. These blessings are not really communal at all-they are all avodah for individuals, and are precursors to the actual "service."
An aggadic perspective on this obligation: it expresses and deepens solidarity among all Jews, regardless of their status or circumstances. It ties all Israel together as one people who bless Hashem.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rabbi Carl.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those beautiful moments where the halakhic and aggadic merge, because what you are saying is true whatever the circumstance:
1. When one is reciting a b'rakha on behalf of the community (Shofar blower, Megillah reader, etc.) the community is bound together, where this one Jew's blessing is in solidarity with the entirity of the community
2. When one is reciting a b'rakha and another responds with Barukh hu, etc. they encourage one another and bless God at the same time (per the observation from "Anonymous" earlier)
3. When the community blesses God together without responding to one another they acknowledge moments of singular focus on blessing God as one unit.
All three lead to the solidarity you speak of...Beautiful.
Ben and Everyone. Thank for your responses. I really like your last point Ben:
ReplyDelete"When the community blesses God together without responding to one another they acknowledge moments of singular focus on blessing God as one unit."
I really think that messianic shuls should take more advantage of traditionally silent parts of the service.
I thought of a question. I know that there are times when I am used to saying amen such as when the Torah blessings are made, but I have never heard anyone say baruch hu uvaruch shemo. Is this a time when we are yotze that blessing and therefore cannot interrupt? Could you compile a simple list of blessings/situations in which we are yotze and only say amen versus situations in which we should say baruch hu uvaruch shemo AND amen because we are just hearing someone else's blessing?
ReplyDeleteOne more thing. Why do we often say the last few words of the Torah/Haftorah blessing with the person who is reciting it and then say amen. We do a similar thing with the last few words of an aliyah along with the baal koreh (Torah Reader).
Hello Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYou wrote: " I know that there are times when I am used to saying amen such as when the Torah blessings are made, but I have never heard anyone say baruch hu uvaruch shemo. Is this a time when we are yotze that blessing and therefore cannot interrupt?"
The answer to your question is, in part, related to your final question: "Why do we often say the last few words of the Torah/Haftorah blessing with the person who is reciting it and then say amen. We do a similar thing with the last few words of an aliyah along with the baal koreh (Torah Reader)."
Traditionally, one would not finish the blessing, or the portion, with the reader. In a more traditional environment, you will hear "Baruch Hu Uveruch Sh'mo" and "Amen." The reason some communities have adopted the custom to recite the end of these blessings with the baal koreh and/or aaliyah is somewhat unclear to me. My guess is that this enables the community to become participants in the blessings/leining. This is not in accordance with classical halakha, however. Another interesting point is that, one oughtn't say "Amen" if one is reciting the blessing with the aaliyah. The reason that happens is because many Jews have adopted the Christian custom of responding "Amen" to one's own blessing/prayer. Classical halakha states that one should not say "Amen" to one's own blessing (See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Ch 6, 11). I have seen very few Messianic, Reform, or even Conservative communities uphold this position, however. In many places, minhag (custom) has overtaken the classical halakhic position.
As for the list you requested, I will address that in my next post!